The Memoirs of Chateaubriand

The Memoirs of Chateaubriand, autobiographical work by François-Auguste-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand, published as Mémoires d’outre-tombe (“Memoirs from Beyond the Grave”) in 1849–50. The work may have been started as early as 1810, but it was written for posthumous publication.

As much a history of Chateaubriand’s thoughts and sensations as it is a conventional narrative of his life, it draws a vivid picture of contemporary French history, of the spirit of the Romantic epoch, and of Chateaubriand’s travels. These are complemented by many self-revealing passages in which the author recounts his appreciation of women, his sensitivity to nature, and his lifelong tendency toward melancholy.

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